Kit: No. 00332
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Trumpeter, from Stevens International, 856-435-1555, www.stevenhobby.com
Price: $24.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 275 parts (2 vinyl), decals
Pros: Easy to assemble, good detail and accuracy
Cons: Tracks a bit too long, separate driver’s hatch can’t be posed open, poor decals
Trumpeter continues to expand its modern armor repertoire with the release of the Italian C1 Ariete MBT. Originally designed in the 1980s as a replacement for Italy’s Leopard tanks, the Ariete would not see service until the mid-1990s.
The kit is molded in olive plastic and shows good detail. One-piece vinyl tracks are provided, along with a small sheet of clear plastic sheet for the turret periscope openings. Only one choice of markings is given on the small decal sheet, and a piece of fuzzy cotton thread is intended for the tow cables. No figures are included.
As usual, assembly begins with the suspension; the complex system is modeled with separate shocks and suspension arms. I left off the running gear to make painting the hull easier. I assembled the entire upper hull quickly, leaving off only a few detail parts that would be easy to break while handling. To make painting easier, I did not join the upper and lower hull halves as described in step 12. I found I could even add the side skirts and the mud flaps to the upper hull and still attach the hull halves together later. The driver’s hatch is a separate piece, but there is no way to pose it in the open position. A few parts were marred by ejector-pin marks, mainly the tow shackles.
Although the turret is complex, it was still easy to assemble. All of the parts were added to the turret before painting except the periscope lenses and the machine gun. The parts fit very well, but a small amount of filler was needed in a few areas on the front armor and where the turret basket attaches to the rear of the turret. I mounted all of the tools as my reference photos showed them painted the same color as the tank.
Most color notes in the instructions are for Gunze Sangyo colors, but the overall color is not clearly indicated. I wound up using Tamiya olive green as a base coat. Some of the small multicolor decals were printed off-register, and the rear number plates lack the white background shown in the box art and instructions. My sample’s tracks were a bit too long, but I was afraid that removing a full link would make them too tight.
The finished model measures close to the dimensions on the Army Technology website (www.army-technology.com). It took me only 19 hours to finish my Ariete. Ease of assembly and the one-color paint scheme made the job quick and easy.
– John Plzak